Oak Trust Credit Union Athlete of the Week: Noah Fleckenstein

York senior wrestler Noah Fleckenstein is a two-time state qualifier that looks poised to make it for a third straight year. He recently won five matches to take the Sycamore Invitational title at 195 pounds on Saturday. He is 25-3 this season and plans to attend The Citadel with the hope of becoming a Marine. Fleckenstein, the Oak Trust Credit Union Athlete of the Week, talked with Suburban Life sports reporter Dan Santaromita about winning the tournament and his postseason aspirations.

What did it mean to win at Sycamore?

It’s one of the harder tournaments of the year and I was looking forward to the challenge. I was happy with the result. I’m definitely looking forward to regional-, sectional- and state-time of the year.

What have your experiences at state been like?

Going down to state for my first year as a sophomore was an eye opener. I competed with some of the best kids in the state. It gives you some experience and shows you what you need to do to be a champion. It gives you that drive to live up and surpass that expectation.

What drew you to the Citadel?

It’s a smaller school. It’s about 2,500 students, but they’re still Division I. They’re selective. You get the smaller class sizes, which is something I’m looking forward to. It’s just a smaller version of the bigger service academies.

How well do you think you’ve wrestled this season?

The first three losses happened at the beginning of the year. I wasn’t as ready as I thought I was at the beginning of the season. Since then I’ve been feeling good. I’ve gotten my moves and technique tightened up more.